Town of Markham votes to become Ontario's newest city

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The Town of Markham is set to undergo a rebranding of sorts after deciding to do away with their rural routes and declare itself Ontario's newest city.

Councillors supported the change in a unanimous vote on Tuesday evening, during a public consultation in front of more than 50 residents.

While some in attendance were concerned that the change could symbolize the end of quiet rural life in the quickly-growing municipality, others felt it would signal the community's coming of age.

Markham recently voted to approve the construction of a new NHL-calibre arena that could compete with Toronto's Air Canada for concerts and other special events and also someday host a professional hockey team.

The town will officially declare itself a city during a Canada Day celebration on July 1.

Markham's population of more than 300,000 is higher than several Ontario municipalities that already have city designation.

Vaughan, which previously used the slogan "The city above Toronto," has about 288,000 residents, while Windsor has about 210,000 and Burlington has 175,000.

According to Markham's population forecasts, its 2011 population of 303,500 will swell to 337,800 in 2016 and as high as 423,500 by 2031.